Dr. Landowski will present “Keeping an Eye on Lipids: Insights into Retinal Lipid Metabolism from Mouse Genetic Studies,” at 11:00 in R2-254 (ARB) on May 23, 2024.
Dr. Landowski investigates the molecular pathways disrupted by genetic mutations that accelerate the formation of age-dependent retinal pathologies in mice. His studies focus on mice with a mutation in transmembrane protein 135 (Tmem135) that display age-dependent retinal pathologies such as RPE abnormalities, photoreceptor degeneration, and visual loss. TMEM135 is a mitochondria-associated protein believed to regulate mitochondria dynamics, but the mechanism by which TMEM135 protects an eye from age-dependent pathologies is unknown. Landowski uses genetic techniques to identify and interrogate pathways perturbed by TMEM135 deficiency in mice. He is currently a post-doc at the Ikeda Lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.